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Heat and PSD

Heat-Related Early Release/Closure Protocol Update

PSD, in partnership with the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE) and members of our teaching, classified, and administrative staff, has developed a protocol for determining when to dismiss students early or not have school on days when high temperatures may impact our students and the staff who support them. This protocol will determine whether to implement a two-hour early release or full heat closure for students in kindergarten through eighth grade and students who attend school in unairconditioned buildings, including Centennial High School, Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, and Poudre Community Academy (PCA). 

All four comprehensive high schools, Timnath Middle School High School, Wellington Middle School High School, Poudre Global Academy, and all Transitions Programs will remain in session because these buildings are air conditioned. The Mountain Schools (Livermore, Red Feather, and Stove Prairie) will remain in session and will be monitored for high temperatures.

Heat-related decisions informed by monitoring data sources

Decisions to call for a heat-related two-hour early release or closure will be informed by close monitoring of two data sources:

Conditions for Early Release or School Closure

If one or more of the following conditions are met, the district will consider calling a two-hour early release or full school closure: 

  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Heat & Health Tracker for Larimer County indicates major or extreme levels of risk of heat-related impacts to individuals. The NWS HeatRisk Index defines major and extreme levels of risk using a color-coded system. Red indicates major risks associated with heat, and magenta indicates extreme risks associated with heat. 
  • The National Weather Service forecast for zip code 80521 indicates a high temperature above 95 degrees fahrenheit. 
  • The National Weather Service forecast for zip code 80521 indicates high temperatures at 90 degrees or higher for three consecutive days. 

Whenever possible, PSD will notify families and staff of a possible early release or closure 12-24 hours in advance of the closure or early release. 

Schools impacted by heat-related two-hour early release/closure

  • All Elementary Schools, except PGA, Livermore, Red Feather, and Stove Prairie Elementary Schools
  • All Middle Schools, except PGA, TMHS, and WMHS
  • Centennial High School 
  • Polaris Expeditionary Learning School
  • Poudre Community Academy 

What does a two-hour early release due to heat mean for students in grades K-8 at impacted schools and students at Centennial, PCA, Polaris, and in Early Childhood? 

  • Schools start at the normal time. 
  • Breakfast and lunch is served. 
  • Field trips scheduled for the afternoon are canceled.
  • Students who typically ride the bus home will still do so. Buses will drop students off at their regular stops two hours earlier than usual.
  • Afternoon Early Childhood sessions are canceled. Full day sessions dismiss two hours early. Morning sessions run at their regularly-scheduled time.
  • After-school activities, including athletics practices and competitions, at these schools are canceled. 

What happens with AlphaBEST on early release or heat-related closure days?

If PSD calls for an early release or heat-related closure, AlphaBEST childcare services will be available at Bacon Elementary School. Space will be limited and families are encouraged to follow AlphaBEST’s procedures for registering children to use these services during early releases or closures. Families using AlphaBEST childcare services will be responsible for transporting their students to AlphaBEST in the event of an early release or closure. For more information about AlphaBEST services, please contact AlphaBEST directly.

    What does a full day closure due to heat mean for students in grades K-8 at impacted schools and students at Centennial, PCA, and Polaris? 

    • Schools will be closed. 
    • All after school activities will be canceled.

    Schools remaining in session during heat-related early release/closure

    • Fort Collins High School
    • Fossil Ridge High School
    • Livermore Elementary School
    • Poudre Global Academy 
    • Poudre High School
    • Red Feather Elementary School
    • Rocky Mountain High School 
    • Stove Prairie Elementary School
    • Timnath Middle High School 
    • Wellington Middle High School 
    • Transitions Programs

    What does a two-hour early release or full-day closure due to heat mean for students who attend FCHS, FRHS, PHS, RMHS, TMHS, WMHS, PGA, and the Transitions Programs? 

    • Schools operate normally. 
    • High school after school activities, including athletics, and competitions for high school students will continue. Middle School after school activities, including athletics, and competitions will be canceled. 
      • Schools may make a determination to move extracurricular activities to mornings or later in the evenings, depending on the availability of club or activity sponsors.
      • Coaches may also make modifications to outdoor practices and competitions based on air quality guidance provided by the Colorado High School Sports Association. CHSAA recommends organizers consider canceling, postponing, or moving outdoor events indoors or moving them to an area with “good” air quality if the Air Quality Index is 151 or higher.  PSD Athletics will also monitor the Wet Globe Temperature in alignment with CHSAA recommendations and notify schools if after school practices and activities need to be canceled.
      • At TMHS and WMHS, all middle school after school activities, including athletics, and competitions will be canceled. 

    Why is PSD considering early release or heat-related closures for some schools but not others?

    • Most of our schools do not have air conditioning. Some only have air conditioning in certain spaces like computer labs or media centers. 
    • Since students at most of our elementary and middle schools are transported together, an early release or closure must be called for all elementary and middle schools, even those with air conditioning.
    • The district is taking all possible steps to cool our buildings, including drawing more cool air in through school doors and ventilation systems early in the morning and providing fans in hallways and every classroom. But, these efforts are, at times, not enough to combat high temperatures. 
    • We also believe that, whenever possible, our students should be in school. Some of our schools have air conditioning and can continue to operate normally during instances of high temperatures. 

    Heat Resistant Practices at PSD

    Carpentry

    • Film
      • Tinted film has been added at several locations such as Preston Middle School's east facing main hall bridges, Fort Collins High School's south facing windows, and the monitor glass at the Delaney sites.
      • In some cases reflective film on windows was requested and denied as it affects the thermal pane balance (the operation of the window).
    • Shades/blinds
      • Added in the east hall windows at Preston.
      • Installation of a 1% shade material instead of district standard 3% in two south facing classrooms at Webber Middle School to reduce heat passage.
      • Other blinds-related solutions were done in classrooms in several schools.

    Construction

    • Past strategies 
      • Utilizing outside air and flushing the building with large fans and/or BAS manipulation. The “hottest” schools are the 1960-1990 builds in which the exterior building thermal envelope is typically constructed with non-insulated masonry walls with single panel windows
      • Most HVAC renovations in the older schools included glazing replacement with insulated window units (Lesher and Putnam Middle Schools, Barton Early Childhood Center, Dunn Elementary School). Window film was explored but it did not provide much relief. In the “Delaney models.” reflective tinting was added to the monitors.

    Building Automation

    • Run HVAC at full outside fresh air intake in buildings from 1 to 3 a.m. to bring in cool night air
    • Change room set points to allow the room to sub cool (avoiding the mixing of warmer air with cooler air from the dampers) 
    • Use morning cool down modes (continuing to bring in cooler air as long as the temps support it)
    • Turn certain equipment off during the heat of the day (gym air ex.) equipment that has zero cooling impact but could accidentally cause warm air to be drawn into the building.  
    • Shutting the system off has always been the best – stale cool air vs warmer moving air, in terms of the temperature. This allows occupants to move air with stationary fans.  

    Custodial Efforts

    • Place large fans to push air through the building; supervisors work with head custodians to identify the best placement to maximize air circulation without impeding the ventilation system.
    • Open windows and doors early morning when possible and safe to do so to allow morning cool air in; once students arrive in the building, doors are closed following Security protocols. 
    •  Leave windows on second story/third story windows open overnight to allow cool air in throughout the night/early morning.
    • Keep window shades closed.
    • Report HVAC problems promptly.
    • Box fans were delivered to schools as requested.